Tuesday, October 26th, 2010 at 12:28 pm  |  88 responses

NBA Bans Upside Down Headbands

Doesn’t the NBA have bigger things to worry about (an impending lockout, for one)? Anyway, from now on if you’re going to wear a headband, you’re going to wear it the way the L wants you to. Chris Forsberg informed us of this new rule:

headbandrule

On the bright side, the NFL still has much worse on-field dress code rules.

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  • Chris Posted: Oct.26 at 12:32 pm
    Good. Imagine if young kids starting wearing their, er……actually, what would happen?

  • Enigmatic Posted: Oct.26 at 12:33 pm
    I like this rule. One, Rondo looks stupid as hell with the headband upside down. And two, I’m from the Chicagoland. Where anything turned upside down means you wish death upon them. How Rondo gonna be like “NBA Killa!”???

  • niQ Posted: Oct.26 at 12:35 pm
    Next up – Stern bringing back short shorts. LOL

  • Abaci Posted: Oct.26 at 12:39 pm
    Lame

  • KING Posted: Oct.26 at 12:40 pm
    @niq stern probably would

  • Krisjanis Posted: Oct.26 at 12:40 pm
    they might ban wearing more than 1 pair of socks, or maybe the shoes which are multi-coloured? and everything else too. fantastic rule changes, really

  • Roadrunner Posted: Oct.26 at 12:40 pm
    What about inside-out headbands? Any rule on those yet?

  • gerardo Posted: Oct.26 at 12:41 pm
    Dam they don’t let us do nothing ! :(

  • Gerard Himself Posted: Oct.26 at 12:41 pm
    REALLY lame. Also, I want to mention that Rondo didn’t wear his headband upside down, his team accidentally got headbands with the logo wrongfully stitched upside down, so he couldn’t help it.

  • Darius Posted: Oct.26 at 12:47 pm
    another dumb rule change

  • dirty frank Posted: Oct.26 at 12:47 pm
    what a complete joke

  • izzo Posted: Oct.26 at 12:53 pm
    I welcome the new and innovative ways of looking stupid which this rule will bring about.

  • vtrobot Posted: Oct.26 at 12:55 pm
    rondo knew this was coming so he stopped wearing the headband. does jerry need to be front and center too? f*ck you, dave stern.

  • YKnot Posted: Oct.26 at 12:55 pm
    Tote that barge lift that bale!

  • Eboy Posted: Oct.26 at 1:06 pm
    Just let the dudes play. This is so silly. Almost as silly as how an upside down headband looks.

  • Sparty's Law Posted: Oct.26 at 1:14 pm
    Not a big deal – upside down headbands look stupid.

  • Rocksinmypants Posted: Oct.26 at 1:20 pm
    Rondo looked dumb as hell anyways. But no matter how annoying it was I don’t really think it warrented a change in the dress code. Oh well.

  • MoGotti2 Posted: Oct.26 at 1:26 pm
    The No Baller-swag Association lol

  • airs Posted: Oct.26 at 1:29 pm
    anyone remember those “d-bands” headbands that ron artest and jamal crawford used to endorse?? i saw those in an old slam mag the other day. now THOSE were ridiculous.

  • Tyquez Posted: Oct.26 at 1:36 pm
    nba and nfl is geting gay no hard hits ,handbands upside down wtf

  • Q Posted: Oct.26 at 1:41 pm
    it may look stupid but it is the only kind of headband they can wear and now they can’t even wear it upside down. Come on, this is just a hyper control image issue. Pretty soon they will only allow kicks with NBA logos on ‘em or something wack like that

  • Seth Posted: Oct.26 at 1:45 pm
    Just do away with headbands then. They’re an accessory. I don’t think anyone who wears one is actually thinking, “I’m gonna keep the sweat off my forehead with this.”

  • dimo Posted: Oct.26 at 1:48 pm
    nba is gay

  • airs Posted: Oct.26 at 1:50 pm
    @seth, i think most wear em to keep sweat out of their eyes

  • airs Posted: Oct.26 at 1:50 pm
    @seth, i think most wear em to keep sweat out of their eyes.

  • airs Posted: Oct.26 at 1:51 pm
    whoops.

  • Yesse Posted: Oct.26 at 1:55 pm
    What’s next? You can’t touch your player in the post? These new upcoming rules just get worse and worse. Soon i will be watching euroleague and i bet i’m not the only one.

  • Jukai Posted: Oct.26 at 2:05 pm
    Racism.

  • Heals Posted: Oct.26 at 2:05 pm
    Cornball…

  • Rondo's a punk Posted: Oct.26 at 2:08 pm
    As a Laker fan, I think that players like Rondo purposely wear it upside down as a sign of disprespect. Remember who “the logo” is.

  • Reldan Posted: Oct.26 at 2:09 pm
    As a Lakers fan, I think that players like Rondo purposely wear the headband upside down. Remember who “the logo” is.

  • fresh Posted: Oct.26 at 2:35 pm
    Get the ghetto out. We need more mad dogs in the league!!

  • Sam Posted: Oct.26 at 2:48 pm
    FIGHT THE POWER NBA!!! NOT! David Stern and Goodell are the worst Commissioners ever. If Naismith came back from the dead, he’d die again from what Stern has done to the NBA.

  • hhddhfhd Posted: Oct.26 at 2:51 pm
    wonda why rondo wears no headband

  • Anton Posted: Oct.26 at 2:52 pm
    ^If Naismith came back from the dead he’d wonder why we’re still not using peach baskets and what this whole internet thing is about.

  • izzo Posted: Oct.26 at 2:55 pm
    He’d probably have things to say regarding the black people too.

  • Hammer Posted: Oct.26 at 2:55 pm
    Good rule. Cuz players did look silly. Not as silly tho like wearing hats w/the sticker head size still on em. Now that’s as jay z said is LAME!!

  • IHaveADream Posted: Oct.26 at 2:58 pm
    Stern needs to be working on making sure that there will be a season next year and stop with these stupid rule changes. Is it that serious? It’s just a headband. Let them wear it however they want to.

  • tealish Posted: Oct.26 at 3:02 pm
    Slightly unnecessary? Sure. But I don’t mind, because that upside down headband stuff is just silly.

  • Rajon Rondo Posted: Oct.26 at 3:06 pm
    Damn

  • BossTerry Posted: Oct.26 at 3:11 pm
    This is getting just stupid…. Let the players play, I dont care if the wear headbands, upside down headbands, goggles, or a top hat.. SMH..

  • unrel Posted: Oct.26 at 3:12 pm
    nothing wrong with this.. i have a dress code at work also.. so.. big F’m deal.. but i was at a bar one time.. and some dude was rockin a head band.. why oh why?

  • Josh Posted: Oct.26 at 3:15 pm
    I actually like this. For some reason I hated seeing guys wear headbands upside down, like there was some other motive behind it. Its a bad look.

  • Chris_Griff_3 Posted: Oct.26 at 3:19 pm
    Notice how Stern waited for A.I. to announce his playing overseas before making any dress code rules while risking a team signs him?

  • Easy-E Posted: Oct.26 at 3:31 pm
    “Next up – Stern bringing back short shorts. LOL ” :laugh: They need to ban/retire those “Iverson” arm sleeves. 1) The O.G. is no longer in the league and 2) They banned the leg sleeves and they seem to be more of a fashion statement than the leg joints were

  • Tarzan Cooper Posted: Oct.26 at 3:33 pm
    Im cool with this. Rondo looked dumb

  • Michael NZ Posted: Oct.26 at 3:34 pm
    Ban everything!

  • Michael NZ Posted: Oct.26 at 3:34 pm
    Also, this is clearly racist.

  • hambone Posted: Oct.26 at 3:35 pm
    i always wondered why rip wears one over a gimp mask?

  • dez Posted: Oct.26 at 4:01 pm
    i always thought rondo was funny looking bc of his face, not his headband…

  • Allenp Posted: Oct.26 at 4:05 pm
    I know y’all think those racist jokes are funny, but they ain’t.
    In case you were wondering.

  • IHaveADream Posted: Oct.26 at 4:16 pm
    Stern just does things for no reason. Like he has no time on his hands. Kids buy these things to try to be like the players they admire. Headbands, armbands, arm sleeves, shoes. Next, he will ban the arm sleeves, I guarantee it. And then armbands. He once tried to tell players that they couldn’t wear armbands past their elbow. Maybe he needs to have an adviser who is younger and is in touch with the younger generation. Why doesn’t he just make everyone wear adidas shoes since they make the jerseys now, and no one can show any individuality? Ban tattoos. Everyone can look the same. How bout it Commish???

  • capostat Posted: Oct.26 at 4:45 pm
    I knew this was coming…It was too obvious to ignore. I mean like, why is it necessary to wear it upside down? Like, really? Trying to make a statement or something? It’s looks so lame (and adolescent). If you want to wear something, wear it normally. It’s just one of those little annoying things that’s distracting (not as much as the hanging mouth guard, which i swear, Jameer Nelson should have to forfeit his salary over). And i thought they’d actually starting looking at Carmelo for wearing it backwards. Whatever, who cares…

  • IAMORANGE4EVER Posted: Oct.26 at 4:55 pm
    Oh, the humanity.

  • LD Posted: Oct.26 at 4:58 pm
    The NBA is racist.

  • Jukai Posted: Oct.26 at 4:58 pm
    Allenp: Racism isn’t funny. Poking fun at people who shout racism over every rule change is.

  • vtrobot Posted: Oct.26 at 5:13 pm
    Yeah, but some of the moves the L makes could be seen as racist, so it’s not that funny to call the ones that aren’t (this one) racist. The L just doesn’t want anything that could be construed as an “F the L” statement. We need more “F the L” statement. THREE HOURS TO GO. H*LL YES!

  • PapaBearATL Posted: Oct.26 at 5:14 pm
    Back to the colorless chuck taylors and nut hugging shorts. Any signs of emotion or individuality will be punished to the umpteenth degree. P.S. The beatings will continue if morale does not improve.
    P.S.S. You will give up a third of your paycheck… Is Stern purposely trying to end the NBA?

  • LA Huey Posted: Oct.26 at 5:17 pm
    Should have done something about players like Crash playing with their mouthpieces hanging out before he did this.

  • zero55am Posted: Oct.26 at 5:27 pm
    Probably shouldn’t look that far into it, with the racism etc.- it’s just a brand recognition exercise, just to ensure a correct and consistent portreyal of the NBA brand. Which is fair enough and it doesn’t change the way the game is played. It won’t be an issue unless someone decides to feel violated and kick up a fuss about it, which I guess we’ll have to wait an see…

  • Darksaber Posted: Oct.26 at 5:31 pm
    Darth Stern must be entering his “Sith Lord feeling his mortality grow as he ages” phase of his life. Quick, opress my workers.

  • Allenp Posted: Oct.26 at 5:40 pm
    Jukai
    Substitute “homophobia” for “racism…”

  • PapaBearATL Posted: Oct.26 at 5:48 pm
    I don’t think it’s racism, I just think Stern is way out of touch with the younger generations. His generation was happy to be lemmings. People try so hard to stand out in some way in this current generation. It’s changing, slowly. I remember how A.I.’s tats caused an uproar, now you stand out if you don’t have any. Just like Caron Butler chewing on a straw, somehow that affects the NBA’s image in a negative light.

  • Diesel Posted: Oct.26 at 5:51 pm
    Professionals should dress like professionals. That’s what I take from this.

  • izzo Posted: Oct.26 at 5:53 pm
    Allenp:It still applies. Though it’s obviously not the same. You can say racism is widespread and you’d be right but to be overtly racist is almost universally unacceptable in polite society. This isn’t necessarily the case with homophobia, where there still isn’t legislative equality for homosexuals and a good portion of people will openly admit without fear of reprisals that they feel being gay is unnatural and wrong.

  • Jukai Posted: Oct.26 at 5:57 pm
    Allen: Not sure I understand your point. Me saying that the headband ban was racist is the same as calling Lebron James a f–? Is that yer point?

  • Jukai Posted: Oct.26 at 5:58 pm
    I don’t think it’s racist— I was making a bad joke, in bad taste. I agree with Diesel.

  • izzo Posted: Oct.26 at 6:00 pm
    Also: Joke about race does not equal a racist joke.

  • Jukai Posted: Oct.26 at 6:41 pm
    Izzo, stop it with your common sense bro, it’s getting aggravating

  • PapaBearATL Posted: Oct.26 at 6:43 pm
    Professionals can’t accessorize? Suit and tie before and after the game, a tucked in uniform during the game and nba approved kicks, right? So no one here has a goofy lapel pin of tie tack that a child or special someone gave you. Or is it black suit, white shirt, black tie? Upside-down head band is stupid but did it really require bra regulation. Remember when AI’s entire persona drove the league crazy, now the rebel is the dude without tats. Change with the times is all I’m saying. Why was it important enough to address?

  • Timbo Posted: Oct.26 at 7:11 pm
    who cares like really u guys really have to find sum bs wow smh this is worse than that technical ref rule

  • Diesel Posted: Oct.26 at 7:18 pm
    PapaBear – you’re analogy is off. The headband is the accessory, not the way you wear it. So in your example, it would be more like me wearing my tie around my waist to work. The only thing you accomplish is looking stupid. Also, in work places where an actual uniform is required, yes, that’s exactly how it works…you’re not supposed to look different.

  • the Danker Nuggets Posted: Oct.26 at 7:18 pm
    Does anyone else get as pissed off about this as i do?! It seems David Stern is trying take any bit of personality out of the league! My personal theory is that his only focus is making the game marketable to middle and upper class parents so that they will take their young children who don’t give a sh*t about who wins really. If i could say one thing personally to Mr. Sternbot it would be: “GET YOU’RE F*CKIN HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS AND FIX THE F*CKIN REFFING ALREADY, ENOUGH OF ALL THIS ‘FAN FRIENDLY’ BULL SH*T!!!!”

  • Diesel Posted: Oct.26 at 7:20 pm
    And the reason you address it is because you don’t want an emphasis on the individual when you’re playing a team sport.

  • Vince5 Posted: Oct.26 at 7:43 pm
    Does anyone except Rondo wears the headband upside down?

  • Sanman Posted: Oct.26 at 7:45 pm
    What about, instead of having the NBA logo on the headbands, have David Sterns face on them and then wear it upside down.

  • Tarzan Cooper Posted: Oct.26 at 8:03 pm
    What about bibbys double wide headbands? Or when bron had his headband in the middle of his dome?. They need to make some rule about kobes hairline.

  • MusketeerX Posted: Oct.26 at 8:05 pm
    God this stuff is ridiculous… who cares how they wear their headbands???

  • IHaveADream Posted: Oct.26 at 9:17 pm
    Rondo looks odd without his headband tonight.

  • BossTerry Posted: Oct.26 at 9:18 pm
    Where do they draw the line? What next, banning of black socks? Facial hair? Hair growen past a certain length? stupid..

  • PapaBearATL Posted: Oct.26 at 9:28 pm
    Diesel- didn’t the league have Iverson wear the sleeve because of tats? In essence telling him to be different when suited them? If I wanna wear my lapel pin upside-down, whose business is it? Maybe it has a significant meaning to me, ya dig. How would that affect corporate image? I guess wear it how you feel or outlaw accessories all together, so there is no gray area, is my point.

  • Diesel Posted: Oct.26 at 10:40 pm
    Someone mentioned it in the comments above, but a lot of companies are extremely particular when it comes to their logos and brand recognition. I’ve had to attend hour long trainings at my work that covered size, color, placement of our company logo on any and eveything. Its all about repetition leading to recognition. I honestly think Rondo is the only person who does it, so I don’t think the NBA would have got involved if it wasn’t for the logo prominently being displayed incorrectly.

  • JE Posted: Oct.26 at 11:12 pm
    F*cking stupid.

  • flipnoyce Posted: Oct.27 at 2:47 am
    Stern probably thinks Rondo wearing the headbands upside down improves his game. Rondo is the only known player to wear such thing so whats the big deal? Its a choice that players make and it doesn’t affect their game. What’s next players should cover all their tattoos?

  • JD Posted: Oct.27 at 4:44 am
    like to see Robert Swift play if they enforced that rule.
    Anyway what a rubbish idea the NBA should encourage players too have their own styles cos then that improves marketablility

  • Dacre Posted: Oct.27 at 5:02 am
    tuck the socks in…

  • KB8toSG8 Posted: Oct.27 at 9:24 am
    effing joke. What’s the point of this entire thing?!

  • Jumper Posted: Oct.27 at 10:26 am
    if naismith came back from the dead he’d be a zombie. Zoiks!

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